High Desert Living

There will be a quarterly Town Hall meeting held on Thursday, May 28th at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. To register in advance, please use the link below.

Register in advance for this meeting:
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/zS9h_ACqTKmTbiozJLQb8w   ​​​​​​​

The Landscape Committee is sponsoring another Speaker in the Park event, this one on Water Conservation. Bring your chairs and blankets and join the Landscape Committee on May 16th at 10 a.m. in High Desert Park to welcome Amos Oak Arber, the City of Albuquerque’s Water Program Conservation Manager with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority. Join us with your questions and curiosity about water conservation. Amos is a proud Albuquerque native with more than 25 years of hands-on experience in landscape design, installation, and maintenance. He also holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture. As a Certified Arborist and former Xeriscape Inspector, Amos has helped over 1,000 residents and businesses transform their landscapes, creating healthier, water‑wise outdoor spaces across the community. See you at High Desert Park!

The Board is hosting an informal event so all High Desert owners can get to know the four Board candidates before the election. This Meet and Greet will be held on Thursday, April 9th at Holiday Park Community Center (11710 Comanche NE). It will be a hybrid event, and those who can't attend in person can participate remotely via Zoom. For in-person participants, light refreshments and informal discussions with candidates will be held from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. At 6:30, the meeting will be opened to Zoom participants for presentations from the candidates, with Question-and-Answer opportunities. Afterwards, there will be a raffle for multiple PRIZES for those who attend in person. If you are unable to attend in person, please register in advance for the Zoom meeting by using the link below.

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3pzFMUcyRN6GFOk7gvQL3A
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The High Desert Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, April 23rd at 6p.m. The meeting will be both in person at Holiday Park Community Center (11710 Comanche Road NE) and available on Zoom. To register in advance for the Zoom meeting, please use the link below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ysrwLszcRDatqhUnhI2wdQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Quarterly Voting Members Meeting will follow the annual meeting at 7p.m., again, both in person (Holiday Park Community Center) and on Zoom. To register for the Zoom meeting, please use the link below.
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ysrwLszcRDatqhUnhI2wdQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
 

Earth Day is in April, so help to celebrate by volunteering for the next Tramway Cleanup day on Saturday, April 18th. It will start at 10 a.m. in the Albertson’s parking lot. If you can make it, please email Michele Lesher at mlesher222@comcast.net so she can have enough supplies. She will have the bags and stylish orange vests for everyone! Please bring a pair of gloves and remember to apply sunscreen.

Please join the High Desert Board and community members for the first Townhall meeting of 2026, on Thursday, February 26th at 6:00 p.m. Below is the Zoom link to register for the meeting. The meeting agenda will be posted closer to the meeting date.

Register in advance for this meeting:

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/acm4JuKVTFGM0eAQNHyfCQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The Board will hold an Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 p.m.

The Board will hold a Special Board meeting on Wednesday, February 4th at 5:00 p.m. to discuss a proposal from the Landscape Committee regarding a new plant list, and they will hear a presentation from Green Summit concerning an eco-friendly herbicide for High Desert to consider. The meeting Zoom link is below. We will post a meeting agenda soon.
 
Join Zoom Meeting
us06web.zoom.us/j/84334172441?pwd=6JRlXvIyOMblemOjOaLAcZar8bAgK4.1
Meeting ID: 843 3417 2441
Passcode: 989512

The Voting Member quarterly meeting will be held on Thursday, January 22nd. Due to time restraints, we are starting the meeting at 6:00 p.m., and we are holding a hybrid meeting, in-person and on Zoom. The in-person address is: Sandia Presbyterian Church at 10704 Paseo Del Norte Blvd NE. Pleasue use the Zoom link below to register for the meeting.

us06web.zoom.us/j/87622384853?pwd=509auLEMsdJBhBSoAQ8FbRVbbdP1SZ.1
Meeting ID: 876 2238 4853
Passcode: 712141

The High Desert office will be closed from Wednesday, December 24th through Thursday, January 1st. If you experience a community emergency during that time, please contact either High Desert Security at 505-485-5658 or the High Desert Emergency Phone at 505-221-0189.

The Board is holding a meeting on Thursday, November 13 at 5 p.m. to discuss the proposed PNM power substation with new electrical towers along Tramway Blvd. Below is the zoom link for the meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
us06web.zoom.us/j/83678218104?pwd=aapsNL7NjrHL5ATbU7KN9KJTaLNG4C.1
Meeting ID: 836 7821 8104
Passcode: 596795

The Board will be holding a closed executive meeting on Monday, November 3rd at 5:00 p.m.

The Board will host an executive (closed) meeting on Wednesday, October 8th at 5pm. This meeting will discuss the legal matters that are before the Board.

Desert Mountain residents,
 
This is an announcement regarding the recently elected Voting Members for 12 of the 25 villages in High Desert. Please visit your individual village's page for contact information for new Voting Members. 
 
Congratulations to the following people who were elected as Voting Members or Voting Member Alternates:
 
Aerie
Voting Member: 
David Miller
 
Canyons
Voting Members:
Dan Kropp 
Randy Longenbaugh
 
Chaco Ridge
Voting Members:
None
 
Desert Highlands
Voting Members:
John Caffrey
Bob Murphy
Alternate:
Fred Gorenz
 
Desert Mountain
Voting Members:
Kathy Garrett
Bill Freer
Mary Martin
Michelle Croteau
Alternates:
Tony Beach
Laura Horton
Brian Bowen
Lauren Artiglia
 
Desert Sky
Voting Members:
Tammi Dorsey
Johnny Brannon
Alternate: 
Les Baker
 
Highlands
Voting Members:
Jocelyn Chao
Quinn Smith
 
Mountain Highlands
Voting Members:
Ron Escudero
Steve Wilson
 
Trailhead
Voting Member:
Kate Mitchell
 
Trillium
Voting Members:
Rick Tiedman
Sabina Beg
John Morton
 
West Highlands
Voting Member:
Mae Claire Branton
 
Wilderness Canon
Voting Member:
Cindy Suiter
 
 
Thank you,
High Desert HOAMCO Office

Please join the Landscape Committee and Molly Wright, a Fire Ecologist with the USDA Forest Service, to talk about fire risk and mitigation. The talk will take place at High Desert Park from 10-11 a.m. Please dress appropriately and bring chairs.

The next Tramway Cleanup Day is on Saturday, October 18th, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Albertson’s parking lot. If you can make it, please let Michele Lesher know, mlesher222@comcast.net, so she can have enough supplies. Please bring a pair of gloves (and hat/sunscreen if you'd like). You will be doing a great favor for awesome Tramway Blvd, which has the beautiful Sandias as its backdrop!

The Events Committee has scheduled a repeat of last year's successful National Night Out at the High Desert Park for those residents who live in a village not locally planning a NNO event, those residents wishing to "double dip" and attend more than one NNO celebration, and those residents living in the Altezza High Desert Apartments next door to the park. The High Desert Park NNO event will include the same two food trucks as last year, serving (1) green chile cheeseburgers and hot dogs and (2) custard treats, ice
cream cones, and floats! The Events Committee is extending an invitation to police and fire representatives as well as City of Albuquerque representatives to join us at the High Desert Park for a relaxed, casual, come and go event. We encourage all within walking distance to help conserve limited parking by walking to the event. Your walk will help leave plenty of room for City police and fire vehicles, as well as room for those residents needing to drive to the event. Mark your calendar for a Tuesday night August 5th dinner and dessert in the park!

Welcome to the new Board of Directors! Our new Board consistes of: President Mark Vander Voort; Vice President Bill Zarr; Secretary David Enos; Treasurer Kristy Frame; and Members at Large, Mark Bentz, John Pollaro, and Rush Inlow. You can see their group photograph and find more information about their terms here. 

The Board will meet in an executive session to discuss legal matters prior to the regular Board meeting, on Tuesday, June 17th at 4:00 p.m.

Please refrain from using fireworks in High Desert this summer, especially around July 4th. The natural environment and drought conditions create a higher risk of wildfires in our area. Please don’t put our neighborhood at risk!!

Speaker in the Park: Landscaping in High Desert. Liza Wheeler with Green Summit will be speaking at the High Desert Park on Saturday, May 31st, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. She will discuss Green Summit’s landscaping approach in High Desert and will be available to answer your questions. Bring a lawn chairs and remember your sunscreen.

High Desert’s Crime Awareness Liaison is hosting Pete Gelebert, the Albuquerque Police Department’s Crime Prevention Specialist in the Northwest Area Command, for a presentation about active shooters. The talk will be at High Desert Park on Saturday, May 17th at 10:00 a.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about this important topic! Please remember to bring a chair or ground mat and wear sunscreen.

The Election of Board Members will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 24th via Zoom and in-person at the Sandia Presbyterian Church (10704 Paseo Del Norte NE). Space is limited. So, it is encouraged that attendees besides Voting Members/Alternates participate by Zoom. If you will be attending via Zoom, please register in advance with this link: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ergr5qH6Sx6pShhVFPUmMA. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. If you will be attending in person, please notify the High Desert office at highdesertmanager@hoamco.com so adequate arrangements can be made. The election will be part of the Association Annual Meeting and will include some Board reports and be followed by a short Voting Members Information Meeting.

There will be an in-person Board Candidate Meet & Greet on April 10th at 6:00 p.m. at Sandia Presbyterian Church (10704 Paseo Del Norte NE). Zoom participation will be available. Residents can use the link below to register in advance. 

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PRAEe90CSZyYbp-V0zB8YA">us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PRAEe90CSZyYbp-V0zB8YA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

There will be a meeting of Voting Members and Alternates on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Sandia Presbyterian Church (10704 Paseo Del Norte NE). Zoom participation is also available for Voting Members and Alternates who can't attend in person or for High Desert homeowners who are interested. Please use this link:

us06web.zoom.us/j/84975895238?pwd=M1Zq02VZTUXCWCw3kuRly9Rx8It3Tp.1
Meeting ID: 849 7589 5238
Passcode: 918296

Due to an unexpected outage of the Internet and phone services at the High Desert HOAMCO office, the office will be closed Thursday, February 27th and possibly Friday, February 28th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. You can still reach HOAMCO at 505-888-4479 or contact the High Desert Emergency Phone at 505-221-0189 for assistance. You are also welcome to reach out via email, as we will be working remotely while this issue is being resolved. Thank you for your understanding.

The Board learned that the Nonprofit Act contains language that is different from the High Desert By-Laws. When appointing a Director to fill a vacancy, the Nonprofit Act requires the appointed Director to serve for the remainder of the vacated term, while the High Desert By-Laws requires the Director to serve until the next annual election. The association lawyer confirmed that the Nonprofit Act takes precedence, so David Enos' term as Board Director has been extended until April 2026.

Did you know that when you call 911 your request for service may be answered by one of three agencies? We already know about Albuquerque Fire and Rescue and the Albuquerque Police Department But, a third agency, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS), may also respond. Of the nearly one million 911 calls last year, ACS responded to about 100,000 of those calls. High Desert Crime Awareness will be hosting a speaker from ACS on Saturday, February 22nd at 3:00 p.m. at Sandia Presbyterian Church (10704 Pase Del Norte NE). Come learn more about the ACS mission.

The High Desert HOAMCO office will also be closed starting Monday, December 23rd through Wednesday, January 1, 2025, reopening on Thursday, January 2nd. If you need immediate assistance during this time, please contact the High Desert Emergency Phone at 505-221-0189 or contact Brandy Hetherington at bhetherington@hoamco.com 

The November issue of the Apache Plume newsletter is now available here!

The newest issue (November) of the High Desert Bulletin is now available! Click here to find the November HD pdf link.

High Desert and Trillium Village are sponsoring a Crime Awareness Event on November 2nd at 3:00 p.m. at Church of the Good Shepherd (7834 Tennyson NE). There will be tips on preventing crime at home, auto, etc., with presentations from the Albuquerque Police Department and our community security company VetSec.

The Landscape Committee’s guest speaker on Friday, October 18th, from 10:00–11:00 in High Desert Park, is Louis Wilcox with Legacy Trees, speaking about meadowscaping and wildflowers. Meadowscaping is more than planting a seed or planning a garden;  it transforms ordinary spaces into a celebration of biodiversity, a habitat for birds and insects, and a home for native plants, beauty, and harmony.

The next Tramway Cleanup Day is on Saturday, October 19th, starting at 10:00 a.m. at the Albertson’s parking lot. If you can make it, please let Michele Lesher know, mlesher222@comcast.net, so she can have enough supplies. Please bring a pair of gloves (and hat/sunscreen if you'd like). You will be doing a great favor for awesome Tramway Blvd, which has the beautiful Sandias as its backdrop!

The High Desert HOAMCO office will be closed for the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 2, 2024. It will reopen as usual on Tuesday.

DUE TO AN INCREASE IN COVID CASES, THE HIGH DESERT OFFICE WILL BE TEMPORARILY CLOSED.
THE HIGH DESERT STAFF CAN BE REACHED BY EMAILING HIGHDESERTMANAGER@HOAMCO.COM 
OR BY PHONE AT 505-314-5862.

FOR AFTER HOURS EMERGENCIES, PLEASE CONTACT HIGH DESERT SECURITY AT 505-485-5658
OR THE HIGH DESERT MANAGER AT 505-221-0189.

Click here for information and link for today's (8/20) Board meeting!

Visit the Reminders and notices For more details

A Townhall will be held on Zoom on Thursday, August 15th at 6:00 p.m. To attend please use the registration link below. The meeting agenda follows the link.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Aug 15, 2024, 06:00 PM

Register in advance for this meeting:

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkd-6rqDkrGdzQckKC5yC8bcnsErpYBL3H

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

High Desert is one of the nicest places to live in Albuquerque and perhaps the best place many of us have ever lived. Do you want to make it even better? Do you want to make a change to your community? Or do you want to keep it the way you like it? If you have the desire, skills, and experience to support this wonderful community, if you see something that you would like to fix, and if you want to know your neighbors and neighborhood better, consider volunteering for a committee or becoming a voting member for your village or a Board member for the community! 

If you're interested, please submit your Statement of Interest (SOI) prior to the next election cycle. As a resident, you will receive notice of any upcoming elections. 

Some villages have planned their own National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6th. If you live in one of those villages, be sure to meet your neighbors at your own event at the time and place in you've been given.

For non-participating villages, the Community Events Committee is sponsoring the first community-wide National Night Out at High Desert Park, August 6 from 5 'til 8 PM. Two food trucks will serve hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream.  ABQ Police, Fire and Rescue, and our City Councilor, Dan Champine, will also attend at High Desert Park.

The next Board meeting will be take place on Wednesday 8/7 at 5 p.m.. Please see the Zoom link and agenda below.

Join Zoom Meeting

us06web.zoom.us/j/84839354407?pwd=g5VvAe5ITKcqAB10bUmeOJ9bpwltCE.1

Meeting ID: 848 3935 4407

Passcode: 841143

Bring your chairs and blankets and join the Landscape Committee on July 27 (Saturday) at 10 am to 11am at High Desert Park, to welcome City Forester  Sean O’Neill. Aaron will speak about the High Desert Trees. Sean has been serving in the City Forester role for about three years. Sean has enjoyed the work, challenges, problem-solving opportunities, and constant learning created by managing such a unique natural resource as the city's urban canopy. He will answer your questions.

The Communication Committee will have an information table.

The Board will hold another July meeting on Tuesday, July 23rd at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom. The Zoom link is below. To see the entire meeting packet pdf click here.

Join Zoom Meeting

us06web.zoom.us/j/85444751449?pwd=CbvJ2V1WjMxIrg3iwzqBoM815f29G9.1

Meeting ID: 854 4475 1449

Passcode: 824468

The next Voting Members Meeting is Thursday, July 25th at 6:30 on Zoom. The Zoom link is below, and the meeting agenda follows the link.

Register in advance for this meeting:

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rce-ppzkiEtyQaS7GGslHkfFUVgehdOpW

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The next scheduled Board meeting is Tuesday, July 16th at 5:00 p.m. Below is the Zoom link, and the meeting agenda follows it. Click here and scroll to bottom (following agenda) to view the entire Board meeting packet as pdf. 

Join Zoom Meeting

us06web.zoom.us/j/88211062819

Meeting ID: 882 1106 2819

The High Desert HOAMCO office will be closed on Thursday and Friday (7/4-5) in observance of the July 4th Holiday. Regarding holiday celebrations, please remember that there are no fireworks allowed in High Desert. 

The Board of Directors is holding an open session meeting on Tuesday, June 18th at 5:00 p.m. on Zoom. To attend, please use the link below. The meeting agenda follows this link. Additionally, you can access the entire Board Meeting Packet here.
 

Join Zoom Meeting

us06web.zoom.us/j/88211062819

Meeting ID: 882 1106 2819

Bring your chairs and blankets and join the Landscape Committee on June 22, at 10 am at High Desert Park to welcome Sean O’ Neill, the City of Albuquerque’s City Forester. Bring your questions and curiosity about the trees in our neighborhoods and open spaces. Sean has been serving in the City Forester role for about three years. He has enjoyed the work, challenges, problem-solving opportunities, and constant learning created by managing such a unique natural resource as the city's urban canopy. See you at High Desert Park!

The Board will hold a meeting on Tuesday, June 4th, at 3:00 p.m. to review the draft copies of the reserve study reports from Advanced Reserve Solutions. To attend the meeting see the Zoom link. The meeting agenda follows this link. PLEASE NOTE: The time is incorrect in the agenda. The meeting is at 3 p.m.

Join Zoom Meeting

us06web.zoom.us/j/82247182859?pwd=3X9ysrLlpvNiyy9Y4jYx3Ybpb2gkWu.1

Meeting ID: 822 4718 2859

Passcode: 978067

The Board is holding a meeting on Thursday, May 30, at 2:00 p.m. This meeting will include an open session and an executive session. Here is the zoom link for the meeting:
 
Join Zoom Meeting
us06web.zoom.us/j/85964574655?pwd=LvXB0LWFQkplrFLRWTQqAMFYuOCuaR.1
Meeting ID: 859 6457 4655
Passcode: 667991
 
The meeting agenda is below.

The Board will be meeting on Tuesday, May 21st at 5:00p.m. on Zoom. To join the meeting, use the link below. See the meeting agenda following the link. Click here and scroll down for the Board Meeting Packet pdf.
 
Join Zoom Meeting
us06web.zoom.us/j/88211062819
Meeting ID: 882 1106 2819

The rescheduled Tramway Cleanup day will be Saturday, May 18th. It will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Albertson’s parking lot. It is scheduled an hour earlier than usual so you can attend the talk about birds in the High Desert park afterwards. If you can make it, please email Michele Lesher at mlesher222@comcast.net so she can have enough supplies. She will have the bags and stylish orange vests for everyone! Please bring a pair of gloves and a mask if you wish. You will be doing a great favor for awesome Tramway Blvd, which has the beautiful Sandias as its backdrop!

Bring your chairs and blankets and join the Landscape Committee on May 18th at 11:00 a.m. in High Desert Park, to welcome Claude Vallieres. Claude will speak about birds and how we can identify and support the birds in our community. Claude Vallieres is Wild Birds Unlimited’s resident bird nerd, and he is a longtime lover of all avian creatures. Claude is a volunteer and leads weekend bird walks at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. He participates in hawk watches, bird counts and surveys, and Christmas Bird Counts, and he is a member of Bird Alliance of Central New Mexico.

The High Desert Board member elections are completed. Here are your new Board members:

Mark Bentz                                          

Kristy Frame                                         

Jay Newton Small                        

Mark Vander Voort      

The Board members' contact page will be updated soon with photos and contact information for each Board member.